


Glow

by Ngame, Toxicpsychox



Series: The Greatest Gift [5]
Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Eclipsa's a loving and caring pseudomom to these dorks too, F/M, First Time, Fluff and Humor, Headcanon that Marco's kinda demisexual used here, Tried really hard to be non-vulgar and tasteful here, awkward but sweet, they're 16 here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-24 00:47:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20017510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ngame/pseuds/Ngame, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toxicpsychox/pseuds/Toxicpsychox
Summary: A new sort of feeling arises in Star and Marco's relationship, leaving them uncertain how to handle it. But with the advice of their loved ones and their unbounded emotional honesty with each other, they might just discover for themselves how to bask in its glow.





	Glow

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the delay, this was very emotionally draining to write. This is the only fic that I plan to have more than a T rating for The Greatest Gift, and my Tumblr/FFnet have a heavily cut version that is watered down to the heavier side of a T rating if you would prefer, but the fic below represents the true experience that I wanted for this fic and I'd HIGHLY urge you to give it a read in its intended form.
> 
> The tags here should say enough but I want to stress: this fic depicts Star and Marco as teenagers (close to a year after Cleaved) having their first sexual experience. I tried to be as respectful and tasteful as I possibly could, but did not want to avoid portraying the inherent emotional intimacy throughout, either. Plenty of fics simply talk around it, with a "and then they enjoyed the night" or "and then they woke up together the next morning," and that's totally OK! And others might just describe it in every anatomical detail, which has its own purpose, but neither are what I felt was right for me. I personally put myself to the task of writing a genuine, tasteful, emotional story where the details of the physically intimate acts were not expendable to the narrative, and I'd like to think I didn't do it a disservice, but of course that's largely up to y'all so let me know what you think.
> 
> Also, as a fun aside: I actually wrote a tiny piece of this work while sitting only a handful of feet from Daron Nefcy herself. I flew across the country to the Blood Moon Ball event back in April, and had been writing the first scene of this (in a different pre-series-ending context at the time) on the plane. I was one of the first in line to get things signed, and there was some time between that and the event starting, so I pulled out my laptop and typed up what became the 2nd paragraph of this fic right then and there. Dominance asserted.

Star Butterfly was sure of only a few things in life: cake is the best kind of breakfast, wood deserves to be destroyed at every opportunity, she loved Marco, Marco loved her - just some basic truths she could always rely on. Certainty was a lofty bar, but if she died right now and went straight to heaven, she  _ was _ almost certain she’d recreate magic with her bare hands just to portal back to Earthni as quickly as possible. Star wasn’t sure  _ why _ , really; it was nowhere near her first kiss, still far from her first kiss with  _ Marco _ , and it wasn’t even their first time getting a bit… heated. Of course she always enjoyed it, but why did everything feel amplified tenfold?

Her train of thought was delightfully derailed when Marco broke their nth kiss of the evening – she’d lost count of how many quite a while ago. She pushed herself back up on her elbows and knees and gazed lovingly at her boyfriend beneath her on the bed, his soothing chocolate eyes and visibly flushed cheeks standing out against the baby blue of his pajamas and bed sheets.  _ So cute _ , her mind purred. His hands lingered on her cheeks for a few more seconds before they reached up to try and corral a few stray blonde hairs that draped down near his face. His brow furrowed as he struggled to tame her mane; it could have killed the mood after the first few failed attempts, but tonight Star found herself with a slowly spreading dopey smile on her face watching Marco struggle to neaten her up. “Hey,” she giggled after a long few moments, leaning down to kiss him on the nose.

Another large strand of hair draped onto him; his visage took on a determined look as he puffed some air to move it. “Hi”, he responded, satisfied with his efforts and finally returning her grin. They stayed like this, just basking in their goofy intimacy in the starlight twinkling through the window. Those feelings were still slowly smoldering inside, but they instantly  _ ignited _ when Marco wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down on top of him, resuming their kissing with renewed ardency. Her eyes shut as she tried to just tune out the world and experience nothing but Marco. The lingering scent of shampoo or soap, some variant of cinnamon, was something she’d no doubt smelled countless times before, but in the moment it was intoxicating. Instinct took over, and Star’s instincts in this field all tended to lead to one particular place. One hand, then another, slipped their way under his pajama shirt, tracing the area where another Marco in another time might be buff beyond belief, but the last year had still done him quite a bit of good in that department. A tingling sensation, one that she wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with, pricked her skin all over when one of Marco’s hands moved upward to tangle itself in her hair and bring them ever closer, trying to feel as much of his presence as she could. Light began to seep in through her eyelids, which was odd considering the sun had gone down and all the lights were off. She opened her eyes, still maintaining the kiss, and moved a hand up to the back of Marco’s head to inspect the situation while idly twirling a lock of his hair.

Upon seeing a two brilliantly glowing moons on his cheeks, she started suddenly enough that her forehead collided with Marco’s. “Ow, Star, ow, what the-”

“Marco… your cheeks…”

His eyes opened after he finished rubbing the pain in his forehead out, finally noticing the brilliant light. “That hasn’t happened since right after Cleaving. Weeeeird. Wait, why aren’t yours glowing?”

“They aren’t?” Star’s nose scrunched up in thought; rationally, she knew that there wasn’t necessarily any reason to expect it, but usually everything between them happened in sync. “You’re right, it’s weeeeird.”

Marco propped himself on his elbows and shrugged his shoulders. “Dunno. Could be something dumb, that happens a lot with magic. Maybe it’s just because I drank too much soda earlier,” he jested.

“I finished off all the Mountain Mew days ago, and mine didn’t light up then,” Star retorted, but her eyes went wide before she’d even finished saying it.  _ Oh no, Star, you really screwed up now... _

“Explains why you were so jittery,” he sniggered, shifting to lie down once more. He was halfway down on the bed before he sprang back up, pivoting directly towards Star and staring at her incredulously. “Wait,  _ all _ of it? Even the limited edition Caja Clash?” She merely responded with a guilty lopsided smile, eyes downcast. “Staaaaaar... That was Quest Buy-exclusive, and that was like a year’s supply…” he groaned and slumped back into the pillows. 

“It’s just so delicious, Marco! Ugh, it was dumb, I’m sorry, I always tell myself ‘just one more’ but then-” 

“Star,” he said firmly to cut off her imminent rambling. After a long moment, during which Star finally managed to still herself, he warily smiled. “Don’t beat yourself up over it, I’m sure we can find more somewhere. Maybe Tom has connections or something. Besides, I still have at least a  _ few _ hidden in case something like this happened, so we can just-”

“Well, about that…”

“Decoy backup stash,” Marco stated flatly. “Good thing Janna hates the stuff, though, or else there’d be no hope for any of it.” Star snickered, relieved that she hadn’t screwed everything up. He shuffled under the covers and gave her an expectant look, at which she crawled in beside him. Deep down she bemoaned the fact that  _ something _ just always seemed to get in the way lately, but she cherished all these moments nonetheless. They shared one last quick kiss before she turned around and wiggled herself into his arms for their usual night-time cuddles.

“G’night, Star, love you.”

“Love you too,” she sighed out, but something still didn’t add up. It had to be the soda, right? It still nagged at her a little bit, but it was more comfortable believing that the unexpected tonight was all some dumb delicious soda’s fault. Maybe it wasn’t  _ certain _ , but it was easy, and giving in to that idea calmed her until sleep finally took hold.

* * *

_ Forward, forward. Thrust forward. Steady on your feet.  _ Star pressed the attack with a flurry of slashes, keeping her momentum driven towards her opponent relentlessly. He took it in stride, deflecting each blow and hopping backwards in lockstep with her, spinning and ducking and dodging, seemingly immune to being thrown off balance. A forceful parry turned her most powerful strike against her, sending her reeling backwards. 

_ You can do this. _ Her eyes darted around momentarily in an attempt to regain her bearings. Steel from Marco’s blade sparkled in the fading Earthni sunlight, distracting from the far more ornate guard covering his hands entirely from this angle - dark blue with a heart and crescent moon on opposite sides of the weapon - it was only fitting he’d decided to nickname it “Cleaver” when she gave him the custom-crafted falchion for his birthday months ago. He was wearing an outfit similar to his riding gear, a ripped jacket on top of his grey t-shirt to protect from the chill of the evening weather. Star couldn’t help but notice that it was hugging him a bit more closely than when they’d started these sparring sessions in recent months, probably from a combination of his growing height and the light muscle definition making itself visible through the fabric. The calm of their recent lives was wonderful, but this was a welcome dose of action and adventure, and she wasn’t exactly opposed to getting to seeing Marco in the heat of battle more often.

_ Focus _ . Their eyes finally met, his smoldering with enough confidence to outmatch the fire in her own. Star and Marco stared at each other for a few moments, breathing heavily. Finally, Marco slowly advanced, measuring his strikes carefully to be counterable but still successful, shoving her backwards without ever completely finishing the job. 

_ He’s good, but you’re Star Butterfly. _ She huffed each time metal clanged on metal, trying her best to mirror Marco’s cool responses to oncoming attacks but getting more and more frustrated and unsteady with each blow. Finally her patience snapped as she dashed towards him with a strangled scream. His eyes narrowed as he powerfully swung in retaliation and Star’s realized a split-second too late what he was aiming to do. The silver blade struck home near the hilt of her own right when she adjusted her grip for her own strike, knocking it to the ground. 

_ Oh crud. _

The two registered what was happening at about the same time, a spark of panic evident in Marco’s expression as Star started to topple to the ground. He tossed his weapon aside gracelessly and dove forward instinctively, wrapping an arm around her before they both hit the grass, rolling until she was lying haphazardly on top of him.

“Soooooo… draw?” Star suggested playfully after she’d regained her breath.

Marco chuckled, stretching out his limbs on the ground rather than wasting any energy trying to get up. “Fine. It was a close one.”

She rolled over and debated pushing herself up on her hands to face him, but instead opted to flop down into his chest since her arms felt like pudding. His heart pumped forcefully enough to make the vibration felt on her cheek. “Yeah, but I haven’t  _ won _ yet. Still getting used to fighting without any magic.”

“You’ll get there, Star.”

“I know. I  _ do _ have the best teacher, after all,” she crooned, waggling her finger lazily in the air before booping him on the nose and scooting upwards to nuzzle into his neck. Another few minutes of rest went by until Star shivered, feeling an especially potent blast of cold air on her skin. “OK, Marco, cuddles are great and all but it’s kinda cold and I’m kinda sweaty.” She stood and helped him up, taking the swords back inside. “Dibs on first shower!” Star shouted when Marco was distracted, bolting upstairs before he could try and stop her. She stepped under the spray, letting the initial burst of cold water hit her to rinse off before settling in under a soothing warm deluge. The only thing that kept her from letting it massage her aching muscles for minutes or hours was the fact that she knew Marco needed a turn just as badly as she did, so she cut it short - by Star standards, anyway - and got dressed before giving Marco the all-clear.

Right as he finished, Angie called upstairs to inform everyone that dinner was ready, and Star followed her downstairs, famished from the afternoon’s high-octane physical activity. Marco joined while his parents were collecting the bowls in the kitchen, his hair still damp and glistening. Star giggled and poked at pieces matted to his face, brushing them aside. Without realizing it, her left hand lingered on his face, thumb idly rubbing circles on his cheek, while her right dropped to his chest and fiddled with the neck of his fresh t-shirt. She had no trouble admitting he was every kind of adorable - he was her boyfriend, after all, and she’d even thought he was cute long before she’d even figured out her feelings for him - but moments like this, where she got to just sit back and drink in every little detail that made her Marco  _ Marco _ , crystallized it at the forefront of her mind until she could scarcely focus on anything else. His own hands caught and held hers as they just basked in the familiar tranquility of togetherness alone.

...until, that is, Rafael and Angie barged in from the kitchen with the stew he’d made for them tonight, smirking at the sight in front of them. “You two remind me a lot of us at your age, you know,” Angie cooed, setting the side dishes on the table. Earthni  _ had _ tragically inherited some of Earth’s farming conditions, leading to a desperate shortage of corn in the winter. The frozen stuff was good, but it could just never be the same. The thought distracted Star enough to break the trance she had still been in before, and she finally separated from Marco and turned her full attention to the meal in front of her. “Well, except for all the breaking up and getting back together.”

Marco choked on the first bite he’d taken. “Wait, you two broke up a lot? Whaaa-”

“Long story,  _ hijo _ ,” Rafael cut him off, waving his hand dismissively. “Anyway, I am so glad to see the two of you fighting all the time! It’s wonderful to watch.”

“Uhhhhhhhhhhh-” Star and Marco stammered out in unison.

“What your father means to say, dear, is that the two of us spied on your little swordfighting session earlier. We even got some pictures! Who would’ve thought our Marco would be like an action movie hero someday?”

“Oh boy,” Marco flatly responded, burying his head in his hands. The rest of the dinner continued on in a silence that felt a bit tense as Angie and Rafael kept giving each other funny looks, as if trying to converse without words, but Star was far too hungry to pay attention to the details while she scarfed down two whole bowls of the old Mewnian stew that Rafael had taken a liking to cooking (albeit with his own flair, which made it far better by Star’s estimation).

Once they were all done, Angie glanced up at her husband inquisitively one final time, and he nodded. She seemed to take that as a cue for something, raising her eyebrows and staring at each of the teens in turn with motherly concern, clasping her hands together on the table. “Star, Marco… we noticed you two have been doing a lot of sparring lately. First, we want to say that we have absolutely no problem with you... sparring. You’re both very mature and responsible people for your age and I trust you can handle yourselves responsibly. But if and when you both decide to get more serious with  _ sparring _ , make sure you’re properly protected, OK? That’s all we ask.”

“Sure thing, I still have closets full of armor at Eclipsa’s.” Star phrased it almost as a question, not sure what to make of the statement and why they seemed to cautious to talk about it and why she kept pausing on the word “sparring” and why they were still looking at her expectantly  _ oh sweet Mewni you’re such an idiot, Star _ . She violently coughed, trying desperately not to hack up the meat and vegetables she’d inhaled, upon the realization of the implied meaning of the statement, but Marco seemed unfazed by it as he tried to ease her through the fit. Once they’d all settled down and he made sure Star was feeling OK after her seemingly inexplicable fit, Marco followed Rafael into the kitchen with the first batch of dishes. 

Star stood up to follow them in, but Angie held up a hand to block her. “Star, honey… you did get what I was saying, righ-”

“Uh-huh, yep. Totally understood,” she blurted out, desperate not to dig that topic back up. She loved Marco’s parents, but that didn’t make this any easier. Angie’s eyes softened as she patted Star’s arm sympathetically. “Well, I’m not quite sure Marco did. Mind giving us a few minutes with him?”

“Yeah, sure.” She was more than OK with getting out of there as quickly as possible, shuffling upstairs before plopping on their bed and getting out the necessary tools and snack stash for tonight’s planned movie marathon of the new Mackie Hand. Why anyone thought a realistically animated remake of a live action movie was a good idea was beyond her, but it looked so stunningly awful that it was sure to deliver a few good laughs. 

But her mind couldn’t put aside the after-dinner conversation for long, even with the warmth brought by the promise of bad movie night laughter, snacks, and cuddles awaiting her, and she unconsciously squirmed with a weird mix of embarrassment and worry despite no one being near. Would he feel the same way she did about this? They were no strangers to physical intimacy, even  _ before _ they’d sealed the deal with their feelings, and it had certainly been flourishing in recent months. Star was far from shy about expressing physical attraction or affection, but recent events were her first experiences diving below the surface with anyone else. She wanted more of it, more of  _ him _ . But there was a huge difference between just letting what felt right happen, and talking or even consciously thinking about it, and the latter most definitely wasn’t one of her strong suits.

“Star?” Marco’s voice cracked sheepishly as he peeked into the room. “You still, um, up for the movie?”

“Totally, totally, totally,” she pumped her voice full of enthusiasm to try and forcefully cut through the awkwardness preemptively. “TV’s set up, blanket is cozy, and Sizzlin’ Hot Cornritos are ready for snacking!”

He hopped into bed next to her, high-fiving her. “Tonight’s gonna be perfect.”

It didn’t take long for Star to drift over into his arms, cozying up as was tradition for Thursdates (or most other times, really), but something felt off. Still warm and affectionate, yet not going any further than that as she’d come to expect. Every smile or kiss was still met with one in turn, but his facial features strained slightly, holding back as though she was made of glass. She tried to pawn off her focus onto the movie, but it unfortunately turned out to be bad in the boring-slash-cringey way more than anything, a fact Marco lamented quite vocally at every opportunity, never failing to make Star roll her eyes. He was still her normal Marco in  _ that _ way, at least. 

Once the credits rolled, Star took the mental hype she’d been slowly building for herself during the entire course of the film to conquer her fears and speak up. “Hey Marco? About earlier…”

“ _ Zzzzzzz... _ ”

She suppressed a growl in her throat. It still miffed her that even just trying to  _ talk _ about going further got stalled out, but she resigned herself to her inability to do anything about it now. In truth, she too was pretty worn out from the long day of training, so after turning off the TV and shoving everything away, she snuggled back under the blanket beside Marco and welcomed a comfy yet frustrated night of rest.

* * *

_ Heart, moon. Heart, moon. Heart, moon. _ The two remaining marshmallows danced in the leftover milk of the cereal bowl after Marco gobbled down a few diamonds and spades. Marco had already wondered whether buying Captain Blanche’s Cleave Crunch was such a great idea when he’d bought it - though some part of him was certainly flattered - but the regret he was feeling over it came from an unexpected place, just a reminder of his current restlessness. He’d felt like an absolute  _ idiot _ after his mother had to explain what she meant at dinner a few days ago a  _ second _ time, and he felt even worse that he’d completely avoided the issue with Star after. Maybe he was dense at times, but in hindsight it was obvious Star took the hint the first time, and neither had spoken up about it since. Finally he slurped down the remainder of his midnight snack and wandered back into the corridors of the temple, tired from the long day of dealing with Meteora alone while Star had girls’ night at Janna’s. How was he going to bring it up with Star? Every part of him  _ wanted _ to talk to her,  _ wanted _ to tell her how he felt, wanted… wanted more, with her. Too tired to stay awake, too lost in thought to sleep, his wallowing continued as he turned a corner-  _ Bam! _

Marco stumbled back after the unexpected collision, picking up the cereal bowl and groaning at the driblets of milk he couldn’t slurp that were now on his hoodie.

“Oh, dear! So sorry, Marco.” Eclipsa, clad in her usual pink pajamas helped steady him on his feet and took the bowl, sending it with Archibald to the kitchen.

“It’s fine, this needed washed anyway. Meteora spit all over it as I was trying to go to put her to sleep. She wasn’t sick or anything, she waited for me to turn my back and crawled out of her crib just to drool on it,” he griped, rubbing his temple.

She put her hand in front of her mouth to laugh, leading Marco out of the entryway and into the much more open dining room. “That’s my little girl. I do hope she wasn’t  _ too _ much trouble. Deep down I think she’s coming around to you, slowly. Maybe Mariposa is rubbing off on her.”

“Maybe,” he shrugged, rubbing his downcast eyes.

“Is everything alright, dear?”

“Can’t sleep… just got a lot on my mind.”

“Would you like to talk about it? I personally find it’s quite helpful to not go to bed with a stray concern, if at all possible.”

He finally glanced up from his shoes, meeting her sympathetic expression only momentarily before studying some nearby floor tiles. “It… might be kind of awkward.” She merely raised an eyebrow inquisitively. A sigh escaped his lips, knowing he probably didn’t have much of a choice - even if she didn’t press, he wouldn’t forgive  _ himself _ for keeping this bottled inside even an hour longer. “It’s- well, it’s just- um, you see, the thing is… it’s  _ Star _ awkward.”

“Ah,” she smirked knowingly. She located two of the finer armchairs from the periphery of the room and placed them opposite each other, beckoning Marco to join her. “I can handle awkward, dear. Do tell.”

“You’re  _ sure _ ?”

“I was a teenager in love myself, once upon a time,” she joked, causing the corner of his mouth to reflexively turn up. “It’s not always easy, and- well, let’s just say my mother wasn’t someone I could have easily gone to for my particular troubles. If being a listening ear can help lessen that burden for you, it would be my honor.”

A warmth spread through his chest at the words, ever grateful for the support. Even to this day, he felt a small pang of guilt that at some point he’d been incredibly distrustful of the woman, though he knew she didn’t hold that against him. In the time leading up to the Blood Moon Curse debacle, she’d been a nurturing shoulder to cry on, so he wasn’t sure why he was being so hesitant - perhaps it was just a thought spiral getting to him. “Things with Star are great, it’s not about that, it’s just- it’s been getting… serious, lately.” He stopped fidgeting with his hands and spared her a glance, noting that her body language was still passive and inviting him to continue. “Um…  _ physically _ serious, I guess. Kind of. Not- not  _ that _ , yet.” 

“It’s not my place to judge, dear. You’re trying to figure things out for yourself, that’s nothing to be ashamed of, you know.”

He nodded once quickly, mostly to reassure himself and spur himself onward. “It’s just… new to me. All of it.”

“So Star is the first girl you’ve gotten ‘serious’ with, then?”

The blush that had been steadily growing on his cheeks was burning now, but he soldiered on. “Well, yeah, she is, but it’s more than that. There was this one day at school a few years ago that everyone hated where they talked about puberty- um, basically human Mewberty, without any of the weird bug stuff,” he clarified upon seeing her confusion. “And they said that when it happens, you’ll start to have, uh, sexual feelings, but I never really did. It’s not like I didn’t  _ know _ what those kind of feelings were or anything. But every crush I had, even with  _ Star _ , wasn’t about that at all. Holding hands or kissing was  _ nice _ , but I- I never really felt like I wanted anything more, if that makes sense. That was just normal Marco.”

Once more, his eyes darted upwards to meet hers, looking for some direction. Eclipsa had her hands folded on her lap, nodding along with his words. She took a moment, then clasped her hands together. “Mmmh. So what’s different?”

“The past month or two, it’s all caught up to me, I guess. Everything we do, even regular everyday stuff, just feels so much more intense, and I’ve never felt this way before, and then my mom gave me and Star a talk about it and it-it-it’s just so much all at once a-and I don’t want to screw anything up or hurt her-”

Eclipsa sprung out of the chair, closing the distance and pulling Marco into a warm embrace. “Oh, sweetie.” Marco’s attempts to stifle the incoming sob only made it worse, gasping for breath as the tears that had welled up in his eyes cascaded freely. “Shhh, it’s alright. It’s alright. I’m here, dear.” It was as though a dam had burst, letting loose all the tension and self-doubt he’d been pushing out of mind into the comforting shoulder. Even now, after so many wonderful months with the girl he loved more than anything, he still found a way to bury feelings until they bit him on the behind.  _ Good one, Diaz _ , he sardonically remarked to himself. Once the waterworks dried up, Eclipsa stood back, pulling them both into a standing position. She wiped the last salty tear off his face with a somber yet calming grin. “You’re a kind, compassionate, and adoring young man, and you mean the entire world to Star. I’m afraid I can’t promise there will never be any hurdles, but I’m confident that you two can solve anything. Love is one of the most magical things in the entire universe; the fact that you're here is living proof, after all.”

“Thanks, Eclipsa. This is- it really means a lot. Thanks. And, um, speaking of love and magic… a few weeks ago, my cheekmarks - only mine - glowed one night while Star and I were, um… ‘getting serious’.” He rubbed the back of his neck as she softly chuckled. Somehow  _ this _ was part of the conversation living up to the promise of awkwardness the most. “It wasn’t, um, the  _ first _ time I started feeling like this, but it was definitely the first time it was strong enough to just hit me in the face. Literally,” he unintentionally jested.

Her smile widened immensely, bordering on teasing him. “When I was younger, Glossaryck fancied me more than most of his prior students, which led to the rather  _ unfortunate _ situation of him striking up casual chats to gossip about queens. Plenty of information I had no desire whatsoever to know, and certainly a fair share of stories no living being needs to hear again, but I did learn that cheekmarks react more readily when emotions are both powerful and novel, so it doesn’t surprise me that yours would glow during such a moment. And as for Star’s…” He mentally flinched as she paused, preparing to answer the question even the darkest corner of his mind hadn’t dared ask.

“Everyone’s own relation to magic was a little bit unique, and you two are already a special case nowadays. Just be honest with her, dear. It’s the best way to sort it out, and all knowledge is good knowledge, you know. Even as a former magical queen, I truthfully can’t give you all the answers and figure out why Star’s hearts might not have reacted.” She hugged him one last time, and he was too dumbfounded to reciprocate before she started walking out of the room. As his mind began to process everything she said, her voice rang out once more from right at the entryway. “I  _ am _ still a wise old woman with a bit of experience in this area myself, though,” she drawled with a wink and a finger tapping her cheek. “And if I knew anything about you two, I’d bet all the chocolate I own that it’s because Star has those same feelings, but they’re nowhere near new.”

* * *

“Hello? Anyone home?”  _ Weird _ . Star strolled up and down the hallways and staircases of the Monster Temple, looking for any signs of life. As far as she knew Eclipsa and Globgor were only supposed to be gone yesterday while she was at Janna’s, and Marco hadn’t indicated he’d left yet even though his babysitting duties were presumably over.  _ Kitchen?  _ Nope.  _ Dining room? _ Nuh-uh.  _ Foyer? _ Even Archibald didn’t seem to be around. What the heck was going on?

She finally made her way through the winding route to her room, finding it empty as well and falling spreadeagle onto the bed, smacking the octopus on her dress directly into the silky sheets. Girls’ night had been a blast, but it left her restless. Hanging out with Janna and Ponyhead always threatened to deliver stressful experiences, but surprisingly it wasn’t even about that - she’d have  _ welcomed _ the usual frustrating shenanigans to divert her mind from things. Unfortunately for her, however, the planets had aligned and put girls’ night at a peak among Pony and Seahorse’s rollercoaster of chronic breakups and public spectacles made out of getting back together, and Pony couldn’t  _ wait _ to tell the world about every moment of their relationship. While Star was pretty sure no living being deserved to be subjected to the details therein, the forwardness in every part of their relationship still reminded her of the subject she’d been avoiding in her own, and had just left her impatient to get back to figuring out how to broach  _ that _ topic with Marco.

The thud from her hitting the bed had gotten Marco’s attention from his room in a fresh grey t-shirt and dark jeans, hair ever-so-slightly damp. He took off his headphones and put down his laptop, opening the door. “Star? Is that you?”

“Eep!” Marco’s voice kicked her out of her reverie, causing her to launch off the bed and spring upwards, bouncing once on the mattress and falling back onto it facefirst. “M’ok!” she cried, muffled, into the mattress. He strode over to her bed, helping her up and sitting down next to her, giggling at the antics. Last night’s talk with Eclipsa had clarified a lot for him, but Star’s presence still uniquely made him feel at ease. “Not funny,” she pouted, but she broke composure soon enough as the laughter was too infectious to resist.

“How was the sleepover?” Marco asked as he let himself fall backwards onto the pillow. “Sounded like you were busy when you texted me earlier.”

Star shrugged and turned to face him. “Ponyhead is back with Seahorse.”

His eyes widened in terror. “Did she-” she nodded, causing him to shudder. “Oh no. Her last set of stories about that relationship gave me nightmares for a week. Never thought I could actually feel _that_ _bad_ for a soulless seahorse that’s probably a robot.”

She sighed, partly in agreement and partly at the continual reminders of their own situation needling her brain, and lay across his lap. “Despite everything, I think they somehow make each other happy, so good for them I guess? Anyway, we spent most of this afternoon cleaning up eyeball juice from Janna’s house- don’t ask,” she cut in before he could voice his concerns, “and I stopped a few times on the way here to get cleaned up, eat, and all that junk.” The last few words came out hurried as Star tried to shove the  _ full _ story out of her mind. “Anyway, where is everyone? This whole place was empty when I got here.”

Marco sat up, his eyebrows furrowing in perplexion. “Wait, Eclipsa isn’t here? We picked fresh corn and had dinner, like, an hour ago, right after you texted me. Globgor’s elotes are  _ amazing _ , by the way. Year-round corn and Mew-Mex cuisine is the best thing on Earthni.”

“Aww, if I’d have known would have just waited to eat. You wanted them all for yourself, didn’t you, mister?” She lightly punched him in the arm with a teasing smile, to which he raised his hands in mock surrender.

“Still, I don’t remember her saying they were leaving or anything. Maybe I should call her-”

“Wait, Marco, look,” she pointed to his door, which had swung partially shut on its own, revealing a note posted to it. She stood up and walked over, reading it aloud after he sat back up to focus fully on her. “ _ Dear Star and Marco, Meteora started teething and ate holes through most of her toys and even took a chunk out of her cradle. Globgor suggested taking her to the forest to chew on some stiff bark and get it out of her system. We’re staying with Moon and River tonight, it’s been far too long since we’ve had a good talk. As always, make yourselves at home. Ta-ta!”  _ She walked back over to the bed. “Guess we have the place to ourselves. Aww, look, Marco! She drew a little cereal bowl here. She knows us so well.”

“Yeah. She does.” Marco choked down the lump that was steadily rising in his throat as he got a good look at the note himself. Eclipsa had left them alone, there was an incredibly exaggerated flair on her signature that underlined the word “talk”, and last night hadn’t even been the first cereal-adjacent conversation he’d had with Eclipsa about Star. The hint wouldn’t have been more obvious if the paper balled up into a fist and decked him on the spot.  _ Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. You got this, Marco _ . Legs curled up into himself, brown hair knotted up in his fingers, and breaths became audible. “Star?” he croaked out. “I- I think there’s something we need to talk about.”

“Yeah, um, I’ve been thinking too.” She bit her lip in concentration.

Marco fully turned on the bed to face her and she mirrored him. “About what my mom said?” he asked hesitantly. Star nodded tightly, focusing entirely on the rich brown pools shining into her own. She  _ wanted _ to clear the air, no matter how awkward it might be, and the calming energy radiating from his own pushed her through. “Ugh, I feel so stupid for not bringing it up earlier-”

She clutched one of his hands sympathetically; now was  _ not _ the time for him to get into one of these moods. “Marco, it’s not your fault! I didn’t either, and besides, it was only a few days ag-”

“No, it wasn’t.” His eyes closed, trying to achieve some sort of zen as the words shuffled themselves around in his mind, but the twitching of his free hand gave away his nervousness. “It- it wasn’t just a few days ago. That night, with my cheekmarks… it was the first time I’d felt something really strong, for you, thaaaat way…”

“Sexually.” Star completed the sentence calmly, clearing her mind and giving him space to talk. Marco nodded, but a split second later his eyes widened in realization of how she might be taking it.

“No- well, yes, b-but… what I mean is, ugh, I- it’s a me thing. Not you,” he stammered. “These types of feelings… it’s all new to me. Whenever I liked someone, I always just thought they were cool or pretty or adorable. Or all three,” he smirked, squeezing her hand. The last thing he wanted was for Star to think he had anything less than the utmost affection for her. “But I guess the more physical stuff just never clicked for me. I- I never really felt that way about anyone before, a-and I  _ really _ enjoy it but it just freaked me out and I-I didn’t want it to be in the way-”

She planted her lips on his, initially meant to just be a peck, but lingered momentarily before pulling away. It always seemed to be this song and dance between them, putting their concern for the other over their own, but she was determined not to let him sink into that mire again. “Marco… it’s OK to feel that way about me, I  _ want _ you to. I feel the same about you.”

Both his hands tentatively took hold of hers. “Do you want to… go further?”

“Do you?”

“Yeah, I- it’s all still new to me, I haven’t done anything like this before, but I really do, Star.”

“Same. Let’s just go with the flow and see what happens. No pressure.”

“No pressure,” he repeated softly, heart doing backflips in his chest. Star tugged him forward, pecking him gently. He tried to shift his legs out of the way to bring her even closer and found it difficult, puckering his lips in frustration. 

When they broke apart, she wore a determined expression, wiping away any lingering hesitance inside him. She yanked him onto a kneeling position and crawled into his lap, draping her arms around his shoulder and getting comfortable in their position. “Better?”

“Mmhmm,” he responded, welcoming her into his personal space as his lips delicately glided over her neck. Star’s toes curled under her as she toyed with his hair, jawline, and shirt fabric in turn, enjoying every bit of Marco as much as she could as her fingers continued drifting downward. A familiar rush of pleasure penetrated the faint haze of strawberry delightfully clouding his nostrils and the golden hair weaving through his fingers like harp strings when she finally finished the journey and slipped underneath the bottom hem, causing him to stifle a giggle at the cool touch on his stomach. Soon, much to Marco’s surprise, she reversed course and started dragging upwards, but he didn’t hesitate to help to wiggle the shirt over his head and through his arms. 

Seeing him like this wasn’t even  _ new _ to her, they’d had plenty of Earthni beach days together, after all, but she knew this time was different. Her wide pupils darted to and fro as she drank in the sight, matching the rising tempo of his heartbeat. “Swordfighting does you  _ good _ ,” she crooned, finally feeling the blush that had risen under her hearts some time ago.

“T-thanks,” he awkwardly replied, words failing him far more easily than actions in their current condition. Taking charge this time, he cradled her head and melded them together once more. Her insistent mouth parted his own greedily, all other sensations fuzzily fading away in deference to her sweet taste and the green fabric of her dress pressed against him. Star basked in his firm yet compassionate embrace, the same one she’d sought refuge in from the harshness of the outside world more times than she could count, but now rather than excluding it was serving to contain them in their little slice of happiness right here. His hands finally brushed against the cold metal of a zipper in their comparatively lazy drift all around her back, each tap of his reluctant fingers against her sending a new tremor down her spine as they fumbled around hesitantly. The smile growing on her lips against his gave him the push he needed to begin the trek downwards, both of them fighting to keep their breathing collected when the faint sound of the zipper registered in their minds, barely perceptible over the tha-thumps of hearts pounding. Marco wasn’t sure he’d even finished the job when she eagerly took over, shimmying her slender arms out of the sides and letting the whole thing pool around her waist.

Rocking backwards off of her knees into a sitting position, her back faced the headboard of the bed. Marco’s thought process ground to a halt for long enough that she had been left flopping around impatiently trying to free herself from the dress to the point of annoyance. He crawled forward stiltedly, pinning the dress to the bed while she completed her mission, channeling her nervous energy into a laser focus on not accidentally kicking him in the process. He was slow to relinquish the grip on her outfit, his mind’s attempts to hold his fragile composure together transferring unwittingly to the rigidity in his arms, but Johansen strength won the day and grabbed it out from under him before discarding it off the side of the bed. They both remained stone-still, Marco awkwardly hunched on his hands partially straddling a sitting Star, eyes lidded with affection as they anxiously looked each other over, flitting from dusky denim to striped nylon to light blue lace.

She very slowly scooted forward, tucking her legs to the side and pushing him back with a palm on his chest that lingered there afterwards, eliciting a sigh. If he had ever doubted how his current self stacked up against the Neverzone in her eyes, it was all dashed from all corners of his mind while she combed his chest, sides, and abdomen, expressing her want with simple actions deafeningly louder than words could ever be. Marco was completely awestruck; his arms merely drifted back towards her and hung limply at her sides, hands resting on her skin with a feather-light touch that made her shiver in anticipation. Star loved and appreciated his loving caution through and through, but she needed something different right now. Lunging forward, she ardently picked up where they left off, coaxing him to hug her, needing desperately to feel more of him surrounding her. The sparks flickering inside ignited, prompting her to reach both hands under her hair for the clasp that remain there. Moments later, a rush of textural sensation swept across his chest and his peripheral vision picked up light blue flung off to the side, and an alarm bell rang out in Marco’s head when the contact resumed. 

“Star?” he mumbled as he broke the kiss. She cupped his face, pressing their foreheads together.

“Is this too much? No pressure,” she asked, idly massaging his cute little mole and squishing his cheeks to and fro. It had been unexpected even to her, and she didn’t want to push further than either of them were prepared for, but her wants and needs and love for every piece of her Marco were erupting forth like magma.

“It’s fine, it’s- I- gosh,” he stumbled over his words, flickering his gaze in the space between them bashfully. “I- I really like this.” 

“So do I,” she breathed out.

And suddenly Star lay flat, soft pillow holding her head with Marco leaning over her with a hand on her shoulder, the alluring confidence carved into his visage leaving her breathless. Not to be outdone, she pulled him downward on top of her and swiveled her legs between his, suckling his neck as he gasped at the overwhelming sensations from all directions. Blue-white heat coursed through their veins as they felt all of each other, aware of the pleasant friction on her lower halves when she arched her back into him. Her feet scrambled around his own and the bottoms of his jeans while his hands went under her head, running her soft mane through his fingers, her name on his lips.

She gave his cute tush a squeeze before slowly circling around to the other side of his jeans, unfastening and tugging with her hands and feet as he unexpectedly mirrored her, and they worked in harmony and righted themselves until they were silently sitting opposite each other with only a single garment apiece separating them from nakedness. The weight of what they’d just done - and more importantly what they were barreling towards - was setting in, temporarily abating the seemingly unstoppable force of their passion.

“So, um… yeah,” Star said, staring at her hands fidgeting in her lap as the sudden apprehension ate her again.

“Yeah…” Marco repeated. “Are we, uh, going to-”

“Yes. Yes? I mean, if you’re up for it.”

He smiled for a moment, ready to move forward, but panic jolted through his system as he had a realization. “Star, we don’t have any, y’know... protection. If you still want, I-I can, um, go to-”

“Actually...” she said, before scooching over to the nightstand and retrieving her purse. She rummaged through for a minute before pulling out a small box, opening  _ that _ and pulling out foil-covered pouches of pills. “I’d been thinking about what your mom said all week, and I didn’t know when we’d need it, but I stopped to pick something up on the way here after stuff Pony said reminded me.” They both shuddered, trying not to let those thoughts kill the mood too much.

“Oh, it’s a Mewni thing. ‘Bay-B-Gone. Protects for exactly six hours. Works for humans  _ and _ Mewmans! Ingredients: Kid-nay bean extract. Side effects may include…’ turning into a baby? What the heck?”

“That’s just how magical foods on Mewni work, Marco! It either works perfectly or it backfires immediately and then you just take an antidote.”

He snickered at her indignance, but he’d seen more than enough to know she was right. “So we just take one each?” She nodded, swallowing one of the little purple capsules right before he did the same. “So… we’re not babies now, so that’s good,” he joked, and she giggled in response.

“That’d be  _ weeeeird _ ,” she said, glancing back and forth between their almost bare forms only inches apart. “Is this weird?”

“Maybe a little,” he responded, leaning forward and kissing her sweetly. “But I love it.”

The strings of tension in her body all thrummed with warmth as the remaining jitters started to melt away. “I love you, Marco.” It was a refrain uttered casually between them these days - though they certainly meant it each time - but now it felt as though her entire body poured every emotion she had into that one expression.

“Love you too, Star,” he responded much the same before they closed the gap together, lips performing an intimate dance moving as one. The rest of their bodies followed suit and collided confidently, the mix of wild lust and bashful hesitance giving way to something new. A soft light became visible through their closed eyelids, and they separated, eyes widening at the sight. Two hearts and two moons emitting a pink glow in unison. They brightly grinned at each other, tracing the outlines of the marks on each others’ cheeks with their fingers, fully embracing the essential truth of their unbridled devotion to one another in mind, body, and soul. It was his turn to straddle her now, entangling his legs around her back and bracing himself on her arms until her hands guided them along her front past her shoulders, sighing into the continuing kiss before breaking it altogether, unabashedly adoring his gentle caress.

She was on top this time, pushing him back onto the pillows and straddling him, hiding their faces from the world with her curtains of gold until he helped her move it all off to one side. His thumb ran over the horns still on her head, their presence such a part of her that he despite how close they were to baring themselves fully he hadn’t even recognized they were there.

“Take them off,” Star said with a knowing smirk as he gently removed them and placed them on the nightstand before picking up where they left off. Star sunk fully into Marco’s embrace, her hands exploring every inch of tan skin they could as his own blazed a trail of fire across her frame, until finally she reached the final piece of him, encouraging him to reflect her as the pair crossed another boundary as one. After the initial forays, the last barriers were removed; there was no fear left between them even as they were fully exposed to one another, finding nothing but the desire to wholly know and experience one another as they each stopped to drink in the sight of their lover. 

The pause was all too swift and they took hold of each other once more, with nothing in the way this time. Mutual bliss bloomed down their legs and up their torsos, but it was Star who neared the end faster, leaning back and guiding his earnest efforts, focusing entirely on his touch. She babbled his name in a crescendo that peaked with a hoarse cry, leaving her panting heavily and drooping onto his chest, using his heartbeat as her rock in the storm of sensation. Marco was content to help her cool down with tender words of love and supple kisses all around her face and neck, but they both knew they still had more to traverse tonight.

When things were calm once more, she turned her attention to him to ensure his was fully prepared for that next step as they made conscious contact below for the first time, rocking into him and responding with her motions to the yearning yelps that pierced her soul. She slowed down and then stopped, craving the final connection far more than physically and wanting nothing more than to hear him say the same, but any words to truly convey the meaning in her heart died at her lips.

“Ready?”

Marco simply beamed at her, finding one of her hands with his own and weaving their fingers together, giving it a loving squeeze. “Ready.” With his hands on her hips, they worked together to cross the final threshold, taking their time as Marco focused intensely on her face for cues to stop or continue. It was a completely new sensation to each of them as they measured their breathing carefully until their union was complete, staying perfectly still afterwards as if to freeze time and preserve every detail. They began moving, simple steady motions that they struggled to synchronize in the murk of scorching passion bubbling up inside them. A few stops and starts later and they’d worked out most of the kinks, finding an unrehearsed but still satisfying rhythm for their wordless duet.

His face frolicked from cheeks to lips to shoulder to chest and everything in between to bring his partner pleasure and to distract himself from his inevitable end as she completely saturated all five of his senses. Star walked one of his hands down her body towards where it met his own, and he took the cue to aid in her half of the gratification they both sought. The world fell away and left her soaring through the air, feeling nothing but the exquisite anchor of her Marco beneath. The inexperienced undulation faltered throughout, sometimes too slow for pleasure and sometimes fast enough for pain, but their endless receptiveness to each other’s needs led them through every bump in the road. Marco signaled that he was approaching the finish line, pleadingly chanting her name and exchanging declarations of love before burying his face into her shoulder and clutching her tightly to him as the built-up tension unraveled. They collapsed into a heap, gradually descending from the hurricane into a heavenly calm, the stars spotting their vision joined with their pairs of hearts and moons to form constellations in the night sky of their paradise.

Neither moved until his heart’s cadence on her ear had fallen into a soothing ballad, lulling her quaking form into a state of utter bliss. When it finally came time to separate, he brushed aside a disheveled blonde lock to expend the last of his passion in a drawn-out kiss to her forehead. Reality came crashing back into them, both shivering at the cool air needling their beleaguered frames.

“So… that was something,” he uttered.

“Sure was,” she fondly smiled at her love, the sunken eyebrows and heavy lids framing his gaze emanating an aura laden with tender love. “This is nice. So what now?”

A rumbling in his stomach answered the question for him “...I’m kind of hungry already.”

“You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I’ll make nachos and you find a movie?”

“You know me too well, Mr. Diaz,” she sighed, holding him tighter. “But, um, we should probably get cleaned up.”

“Yeah,” he admitted, “It’s kind of cold. And sweaty. Maybe we should stay in my room tonight.”

“Guess naked cuddles aren’t always all they’re cracked up to be. A shower sounds  _ really _ good right now,” she tittered, committing one last snapshot to memory before standing up on the floor and stretching her tired limbs. A hand intertwined itself with hers, stopping her from walking away.

“Mind if I join you? J-Just to shower…” he floundered, but she understood. Neither were up for  _ continuing _ , but they still didn’t want this newfound intimacy to end.

Nothing more was said as the pair went hand-in-hand, wholly alone together. The bedroom light was the sole beacon lighting up the Monster Temple’s mountain, a pinprick glow joining the shining stars in the Earthni heavens above.


End file.
